Holloways’ Head of Design Robert Burnett reveals the kitchen style secrets you have to know!

Robert Burnett, Head of Design at Holloways of Ludlow, started out helping family and friends with their home renovations after graduating with a degree in construction. After meeting Mark Holloway at an industry networking event in 2004 the duo launched Holloways of Ludlow Kitchens in 2006.

What are your top tips when designing a new kitchen? The process of designing a kitchen usually starts by selecting a client’s preferred choice of door finish (i.e. the cabinet style). The cabinets are then arranged in the room as effectively as possible. Therefore, the client has a fairly clear picture of what their kitchen will look like from the outset. The final design will be inspired by the client’s individual set of preferences and needs, their budget and the unique space in which the kitchen will occupy.

What kitchen designs are you most proud of and why? I’ve designed too many kitchens to have a favourite. However, in general, my favourite projects are the ones, which significantly improve the client’s enjoyment of their kitchen. This is usually achieved by improving the space, perhaps moving a wall, adding a window, re-orientating the kitchen etc. By changing the way the space looks, feels and functions, in addition to the improvements made to their kitchen design, the benefits for the client are compounded and can be huge.

What advice would you give homeowners who are thinking about a new kitchen, but don’t know what they want? It’s always helpful if the client has a view on what they do and don’t like and if there are specific kitchen appliances that the client would like incorporated into the design – i.e. a wine cabinet, freestanding larder press, a double oven, a Nespresso machine etc. We also encourage our customers to look at lots of kitchen images and identify what you like and what you don’t like about them.

How do homeowners know which kitchen company and kitchen designeris right for them? It’s important to find a good kitchen designer with plenty of experience and extensive knowledge about materials, appliances and furniture. My clients have often been planning their kitchens and gathering great ideas for years, but just need time and guidance to structure their ideas into a coherent brief.